32. ANASTASIA
Chapter thirty-two
O nce we were in the office, we gathered around the small, round conference table. All eyes were on me. I took a deep breath and faced the men. “Okay, I admit that I rushed off—without a solid plan—to the Volkov estate in Tacoma because my brother didn’t show up on our birthday,” I began. “But, for the last fourteen years, Nik has never missed coming to see me, and I panicked when he didn’t respond to my messages.”
Lucian crossed his arms. “That was reckless, Ana. You should’ve told us. You had to have known it would be dangerous to go off like that in search of a guy involved with the mafia and not tell anyone. When you called me that morning, I offered to help you in any way you needed, but you blew me off.”
Conan leaned back in his chair. “What I want to know is why did you run from the police? Braxton said they clocked you doing double the speed limit, running away like you robbed a bank. What the hell were you thinking?”
Their disappointment tore at my conscience. Having them pissed off at me would have been a much better alternative. Anger I could have dealt with, but not this.
“I didn’t have time to think it through,” I said, meeting Conan’s eyes. “I was desperate to find Nik, and when I showed up at the house and saw it covered in police tape, the yard unkempt, and the place practically ransacked, it freaked me out. I didn’t know what I was walking into. I hadn’t been inside but maybe twenty minutes when I heard police sirens. I ran because the fact that the Volkovs are my biological family has been a closely guarded secret since I was a young girl.” I looked at each of them in turn. “I had no explanation for why I broke into that home. They would have assumed I was a thief, arrested me, and checked into my background. Keeping my identity under wraps is crucial for my father’s plans. If the authorities learned who I really was, it would have blown everything up. He’s obsessed with gaining a stronghold here in the states and has spent years setting me up to help make that happen.”
“So, bottom line, you’re a part of not one but two mafia family crime syndicates, and you didn’t think we should know about it? Damn, Ana, you could get us all killed,” Julian grumbled.
“She was protecting you, dumbass. You know, the whole ignorance is bliss sort of thing,” Conan shot back.
“There’s a lot you don’t know,” I admitted. “And for that, I’m sorry. But I did everything I could to keep the club separate from my family. It was the only thing in my life I thought I had control over.”
Gabriel sighed and walked over to the office’s private bar. “Anyone need a drink? Conan? Braxton? ”
“Redbreast 12, if you have it,” Conan said, his eyes never leaving mine. “Neat.”
Braxton nodded. “Same for me.”
Lachlan, who had been silent thus far, perked up. “Well, at least they have good taste in whiskey. Redbreast 12 is one of Ireland’s finest. Smooth, with just the right amount of spice.”
Gabriel fetched the drinks, and soon the whiskey was flowing, easing the tension a bit.
The guys stared at me, waiting for me to continue. I squared my shoulders and inhaled slowly, ready to lay it all out.
“My real father, Viktor Volkov, is a notorious Russian Pakhan—mob boss. The Russian mafia isn’t just some street gang. It’s a massive organization involved in human trafficking, drug dealing, and pretty much every horrific crime you can imagine.”
Pausing, I took a sip of my drink. The fire burned my throat as the golden liquor descended, boosting my confidence.
“Like I said before, I was shipped to America when I was twelve and placed in Elena and Luca Genovese’s custody. I knew I came from a Russian family, but I was raised as a Genovese. They mostly kept me in the dark about what that actually meant. I’ve met with my biological family a handful of times at their estate in Tacoma, but they never really felt like family except for Nik. I think they only had me visit because they wanted to evaluate my progress in becoming an American socialite. I feel so stupid for never looking into the Volkovs and learning about the terrible things they were involved in. It wasn’t until I was in the hospital that I discovered the truth about Viktor and his disgusting empire…and what he did to Samantha.”
My breath hitched, and I had to look away from Conan for a moment to gather my thoughts. What that monster had done to Samantha was hard to share. “Six months ago, Viktor kidnapped Sam. He tried to kill her, Atticus, Conan, and Braxton.”
Julian let out a low whistle.
“She was smacked around and grabbed from Atticus’s house. Her hands were zip-tied, and she was thrown in the back of a van and taken to a warehouse at the port. She tried to escape and almost drowned in the frigid water of the bay. Then they dragged her back to the warehouse, where Viktor nearly raped her. If Atticus and the others hadn’t arrived in the nick of time, he would have. Sam told me how he stripped her and started doing the unimaginable to her. Gunshots distracted him, and somehow Sam was able to escape the office she was locked in just to find herself in the middle of a shoot-out. Atticus threw himself in front of a bullet meant for her, knocking her off her feet, and she ended up cracking her head on the concrete floor.”
I trembled, fighting back tears as I continued. “Conan, Braxton, and a bunch of private-security men fought off Viktor and his thugs. If you guys could only meet Sam. She’s such an amazing person. She became my friend while in the hospital—a real friend when I needed one most. It makes me sick knowing it was my father who did that to her. And now I’ve made matters worse for them all.”
Conan, who was sitting across from me, leaned forward. “Angel, you shouldn’t blame yourself. Viktor’s the monster here, not you.” He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “What are the odds that, six months later, Viktor Volkov’s daughter would wind up in the emergency department under the care of all three of the Thorin brothers, suffer from amnesia, and become close to my family and friends?” He emphasized the word close , and I noticed Lucian cock an eyebrow, but I was too mad at myself to say anything.
I clenched my fists, trying to control the anger boiling inside me. “I’m so furious that I’m associated with a family capable of such horrors. I feel terrible for dragging Samantha and everyone else further into Viktor’s violent world and putting their lives at risk.”
I studied my hands resting in my lap. My lip quivered as I forced the next part out. “Conan…Nik told me…Viktor has put a hit out on you guys.”
Conan inhaled deeply, then rose from his chair and moved behind me. He gathered my hair in his hands, placing a tender kiss behind my ear. “We’ll figure out how to protect you and everyone else, my Angel,” he murmured. His touch calmed me, making me feel important, wanted, cared for.
I leaned into him, savoring the warmth of his presence. “And now I’ve made things worse by involving you guys from the club,” I said, glancing at each of them in turn.
Lucian turned his chair, and then mine, so we faced each other. He leaned forward, put his elbows on his thighs, and took my hands in his. “Ana, you have our complete loyalty. We’ve believed in you for the last six years. That’s one of the reasons why we made you an equal partner. We all love you and will do whatever it takes to protect you.”
The others nodded in agreement, and my heart melted.
Lucian’s eyes darkened with that all-too-familiar smoldering gaze. He let go of my hands and ran his fingers up my thighs. “You know I’m still here any time you need a release. Nothing’s changed between us.” He swallowed hard. “I know your life’s been turned upside down, but I hope you know I’ll be there for you, no matter what you need. Fuck, I know we have shit to do, but right now, all I want to do is you.”
My face blazed red hot as heat shot to my core and an inferno burst to life between my thighs. Did he really just say that in front of Conan?
There were a couple of chuckles .
My head snapped over to Conan, who was leaning against the edge of the table next to me. He crossed his ankles and rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Angel, what exactly does Lucian mean by he’s ‘still here any time you need a release’ ?” he growled.
I sat there between Lucian and Conan, tension crackling in the air. Lucian had just spilled the beans about our special relationship , and Conan was understandably shocked by it. The whiskey had everyone talking more freely, so there was no stopping now.
“Lucian and I have had a no-strings-attached thing for years,” I explained, choosing to address Conan directly. “We enjoy each other’s company without any emotional baggage or exclusivity. We’re great business partners and friends, but nothing more.”
Conan pressed his lips into a thin line. “So, you two just fuck and that’s it?”
Someone across the table cleared their throat. But I hadn’t done anything wrong, so I straightened my spine and slapped on a smile.
Lucian leaned back, crossing his arms. “Pretty much. We agreed from the start—no emotions, no complications. Just two people who like and trust each other.”
Conan snorted. “Sounds like a convenient arrangement. But I didn’t come all this way for a woman who’s just a casual fuck.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Funny, it didn’t sound like you were invited. Maybe she didn’t want you here.”
“Well, it’s obvious she needs me here. If she had the kind of man she deserves in her life, she wouldn’t have ended up wrapping a car around a tree, nearly killing herself. But don’t worry; I’ll take it from here. No need for you to add complications to your life now, is there? ”
A smirk played on Lucian’s lips. “Maybe she likes having options. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little variety, is there, Conan?”
Conan’s eyes narrowed. “No need to shop around when you’ve found exactly what you want.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes at their macho posturing. “Both of you, cut it out.” I huffed. “Conan and I had a chance to get to know each other without all the family drama casting a shadow over us. I didn’t have any memories, so I didn’t have a marriage contract or a fake identity hanging over my head. We had an opportunity to see each other for who we really are. But then my memories and all the ugliness of my life came back and slapped me back into reality. So I don’t know where things could have gone. Now we’ll probably never know.” I shrugged, my mind a chaotic mess of worries about what my future held.
Conan grasped my chin and turned me to face him. His gaze locked onto mine, burning with a raw intensity. “Eyes on me, Angel,” he commanded, closing the space between us, his breath brushing across my lips. “I’m going to know everything about you—your fears, your dreams, your past, the best and the worst. I want to be the one who stands by you when you’re at your lowest and lifts you up higher at your best. I’ll be the one who fights off anyone or anything that tries to hurt you. You’re mine now, and I will know every part of you, even your darkest origins. Nothing will get in my way. Nothing.”
My breath hitched, my surroundings evaporated, and then there were only the two of us. I took his face in my hands and lost myself in his kiss. A sudden movement to my right broke me out of my trance. Lucian stood there with his hand on Conan’s shoulder, pulling him back .
“All right, buddy. You don’t get to just waltz in here and lay claim to a woman you’ve just met. She might be a little caught up in her emotions for a guy who provided her care in the hospital when she was at her worst, but you don’t even know her.” Lucian cupped my cheek and gave me a kind smile. “Ana, you know you can always count on me. We’ve got years of history. And you know you can trust me. Your happiness is what matters to me.”
The two men exchanged possessive glances, each trying to outdo the other. Annoyed to my limit, I shook my head. “Listen, neither one of you is the boss of me.” I let out an exasperated breath. “Besides, by contract, I’m owned by the Moretti family, and in particular by that weasel Frankie.”
Conan and Lucian both scowled at the mention of Frankie’s name. “That marriage contract is bullshit,” Conan growled. “How’s it even possible in today’s world?! You should be free to choose.”
Lucian nodded in agreement. “You’re not some commodity to be traded. We need to find a way to get you out of that situation. When is this wedding anyway?”
My lips rolled in tight, as if they were barring me from speaking the truth. I squinched my eyes closed; it killed me to say it out loud.
“Angel?” Conan prompted.
“June twenty-ninth.”
There was a collective gasp.
“What the fuck? That only gives us two and a half days to figure this out!” Braxton shouted.
I opened my eyes and glanced around the room. All of their stunned expressions were gut-wrenching.
“No way, Ana,” Lachlan said, shaking his head. “You’ve got to get out of here. Go live off the grid long enough for us to figure things out. ”
Their protectiveness was touching, but I needed them to understand I wasn’t a damsel in distress—I was just shit out of luck. “Thanks, guys. But remember, this is an alliance between some of the world’s most powerful mafia organizations. It’s not like a handful of well-intentioned guys can take them on. It’s my cross to bear, and I don’t want you all to get involved any more than you already have.”
Conan placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “We know that, Angel. But we’ll be damned if we let you be forced into something you don’t want.”
Lucian’s gaze softened, but his protective bravado was still evident by his consternated expression. “We’ll figure this out, Ana. Together.”
Lucian and Conan passed each other a knowing look—a truce.
Gabriel cleared his throat. “Anastasia, tell us about your brother. You haven’t mentioned him until today, but it’s obvious he means a lot to you, seeing as you took off across the country when you were worried about him. Is there any possibility he might be able to help?”
I nodded, rubbing my temples. “Nik means the world to me. But it’s complicated. He hates the mafia business, but Viktor controls him. He’s a Russian citizen, not American, which makes it harder for him to get out from under Viktor. Since childhood, he’s been forced to do Viktor’s bidding and prove his loyalty to the Volkovi Notchi. He wants out but doesn’t think he can do anything about it yet.”
Braxton frowned. “How deeply entrenched do you think he is? Maybe it’s better if you don’t contact him.”
Anger surged through me. “Nik has always been there for me. I’ll do anything to protect him like he’s always protected me.” With that, I stood up. “I need to go home. I’m exhausted. ”
Lucian and Conan both turned toward me. “I’ll take you home,” they said in unison, then glared at each other.
I shook my head. “No, I need to be alone.”
Conan stepped closer. “We’re staying at the High Line Hotel and have a rental car. We can come pick you up for dinner.”
I managed a small smile. “Oh, that’s really close to where I live.”
Conan grinned. “Yeah, we know. The laptop gave us your overnight location. We figured as much.”
I laughed. “Of course you would know. But tonight, I just want to crash. Alone time is what I need so that I can sort out some of the chaos zinging around in my head. How about I call you when I’m ready to talk more?”
He nodded and stepped away, his shoulders and arms tensing. It was obvious he didn’t want to let me go alone, but he resisted the urge to say more.
Lucian stopped me as I headed for the elevator. “Come by the club in the morning. We’ll update you on everything that’s happened since you left.”
“I’ll let you know,” I said over my shoulder. I walked through the reception area and pushed the elevator button.
As I stepped outside, I took a deep breath of the cool night air, trying to clear my head. I spotted Slade standing by the entrance and patted him on the side of the arm. “Take care of that jaw. Sorry for those guys forcing their way in like that. If I’d had any idea they might show up, I would’ve given you a heads-up.”
“No worries, Ana. I’d do anything for you. Let’s catch up tomorrow, yeah?”
“Sounds good.” I smiled as he raised his hand.
A cab pulled forward. He opened the door, and I slid into the backseat, giving Slade a grateful nod before the cab drove off into the bustle of traffic.